


Underestimated

by MeganMoonlight



Series: You Never Know (Dragon Age Prompts) [9]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/F, Femslash February, Rare Pairings, Spies with Benefits
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-17 15:41:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29719434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeganMoonlight/pseuds/MeganMoonlight
Summary: People like Charade Amell shouldn’t be underestimated.
Relationships: Charade Amell/Leliana (Dragon Age)
Series: You Never Know (Dragon Age Prompts) [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/413220
Kudos: 2
Collections: Rare Dragon Age Queer Ships





	Underestimated

Leliana watched quietly as Ritts collected the letters she was tasked to deliver and walked down the stairs quickly, soon disappearing behind the pillar. Only then did Leliana allow herself to glance at the note she had received a few hours earlier.

It was a short note; a date, a request to meet near the Mage Tower, and an initial signed with elegant cursive. Still, Leliana right away realized who it was from.

It had been a few weeks since the Spymaster had received any news from Tantervale, because, according to Sera’s Friends, the city had been dealing with an increased number of assassins following the Inquisition’s agents. Neither Leliana’s people or the Red Jennies wanted to risk communication until the problem had been dealt with.

Once the situation seemed to be back under control, Leliana received a number of notes from her agents, letting her know what was happening, so that she could notify the Inquisitor and suggest securing the communication with the agents stationed in the Free Marches.

Just when Leliana was working on answers for the agents, one of her new scouts left another note on her table, before leaving the floor just as quickly as she appeared. After hiding the note in a safe spot, Leliana went to meet with the Inquisitor.

Discussing the Inquisitor’s plans to ask comte of Val Firmin for help with building a bridge over the toxic fumes in the Western Approach, and sending a couple of scouts to Crestwood to see how the villagers were doing, took them almost two hours. Soon after, Leliana found herself standing on top of the Mage Tower. The sun had already set, and she watched as the lit torches illuminated the main gates as well as the soldiers guarding it, lights flickering gently.

When she heard footsteps behind her, steady and regular, she knew the person who was walking towards her was not trying to hide their presence.

“You’ve chosen the guards well.”

Leliana turned her head to see Charade Amell take off the hood of her cloak, before leaning against the wall of the tower casually.

Her hair was longer now, and there was a red scar starting above her collarbone and disappearing under the cloak, a scar that had not been there when Leliana had seen Charade in Tantervale a month earlier. The other rogue was also clearly exhausted from the journey, but when the corners of her lips twitched upward, her eyes were twinkling with amusement. 

Charade was looking around, assessing her surroundings quietly, and the Spymaster right away noticed the way the woman let herself relax.

“So, this is Skyhold, then?” Charade asked, standing next to Leliana, their shoulders almost touching. “For some reason I expected it to be a little more crowded, judging by how Garrett described it in his letters.”

“It can be,” Leliana let one corner of her lips rise slightly. “Especially when people gather around every time the Inquisitor leaves or arrives at the front gates.”

“I can imagine,” Charade smiled back, before reaching inside the inner pocket of her cloak to take out a few rolled up pieces of parchment. “I was asked to deliver a little gift from our Friends. They thought you might appreciate the assistance. Also, we have discovered quite a few Venatori spies, as well as two from Orlais, so we thought you might want to know about them. You’ll find their names there as well.”

Hiding the letters, Leliana watched as Charade continued to admire the castle and observe its inhabitants.

Because of everything that had been accomplished by Daylen Amell, the Hero of Ferelden, and one of Leliana’s closest friends, as well as by Garrett Hawke, the Champion of Kirkwall, the Amell family was talked about often. People constantly wondered about the current whereabouts of both men, and the tales of their adventures, both real and made up, kept entertaining many across Thedas. Yet, while the public often focused their attention on Daylen and Hawke, they tended to overlook other members of the Amell family. People like Carver Hawke, a capable Grey Warden, who had recently left Orlais with Guard-Captain Hendyr, and Charade Amell, a Friend of Red Jenny, who was not only a valuable ally to the Inquisition, but also a skilled archer and spy, were often underestimated. 

However, unlike Carver, Charade knew how to use that to her advantage. It was a quality that could be as useful as it was dangerous. The element of surprise was a powerful asset if one knew how to make use of it.

As if aware of Leliana’s train of thought right then, Charade turned her head to look at her.

“I think I’m finally starting to understand what some of the drawings Sera had sent me meant,” she said, leaning back against the wall.

Knowing Sera’s fondness for drawings perfectly well, Leliana could only imagine just what the other archer’s drawings portrayed. “I’m sure they were very expressive. They always are.”

Charade snorted at that. “That’s true. May I stay until she gets back? It’s been far too long since we saw each other.”

Remembering that Sera had informed Charade of her trip to Emprise du Lion with the Inquisitor, Leliana nodded briefly. “Of course. I’ll show you to your room. You must be tired after the trip. We can talk more once you’ve rested.”

When they finally reached the guest quarters, Leliana opened the door to let Charade in, and as soon as she did so, she found herself pressed against the wall inside the room, Charade’s warm lips pressed against hers in an eager kiss.

“I missed this,” the other woman muttered against Leliana’s lips, gripping her cloak with one hand, the other one wrapping around her waist. Charade’s fingers brushed against the dagger the Spymaster always had strapped to the back of her belt, but soon were moving slowly up Leliana’s back.

Leliana closed the door and locked it with one hand, before kissing Charade once again, pressing their bodies close together. She let her hands travel down Charade’s sides until they reached the belt, and then she unfastened it promptly. The belt, along with two daggers strapped to it, fell to the floor with a thud.

Yes, Leliana thought. People like Charade Amell definitely shouldn’t be underestimated.

**Author's Note:**

> This ficlet was inspired by the generated prompt: Leliana & Charade Amell - underestimated.
> 
> Thanks to the generator I accidentally found a new, shiny ship, so I decided to create a tag for it! You're welcome, dear fandom.
> 
> Enjoy my new ship!


End file.
